In our experience, adding implant dentistry to a general practice can be one of the greatest investments for a dental practice. When building Driven Dental Marketing, we sought to find predictable, profitable ways for dentists to grow their practices while making a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.

We tested several procedures. We tested multiple marketing strategies. After all that testing, dental implant marketing stood head and shoulders above the others. It generated the most reliable and predictable returns. It was a procedure general dentists could start doing with as few as two days of continuing education training. And it is a procedure that changes patients’ lives. Implants allow people to smile confidently after years of hiding missing teeth. They allow people to eat foods they hadn’t been able to eat in years. They allow people to throw away their dentures. The list goes on.

As we worked with clients, we identified additional strategies and best practices for improving the return on their investments into dental implant advertising. One of the easiest ways to improve your return on investment has nothing to do with technology or clinical training. You only need a telephone.

The most profitable dental implant practices are made up of three parts: clinical mastery, proven marketing, and team training. Clinical mastery allows you to accept a greater number of, and more complex cases. That helps you perform higher-fee, more-complex cases. Proven marketing helps generate a constant flow of patients looking for implants.

The importance of clinical training and marketing to an implant practice cannot be understated. After all, they give you the patients and the skills to perform the procedures. But the way your team handles phone calls from people responding to your ads is often the key to your future success. It’s often the easiest way to increase your return on investment with dental implant marketing. On our LiveCast with Laura Hatch of Front Office Rocks, we discussed three simple ways your team can help you improve your return on investment using only the telephone.

1. Know the main purpose of phone calls from people responding to an ad.

The main purpose of phone calls responding to a dental implant ad is to build rapport and schedule an appointment with the patient for a consultation. It’s not to give estimates, discuss treatment options, or explain the doctor’s skills.

Because no two patients’ positions will be the same, giving estimates, discussing treatment options, and explaining the doctor’s skills can be dangerous.

For example, if you estimate a cost and it turns out the patient needs more extensive work, it can result in bad blood or even negative reviews online. If you discuss financing options and the person doesn’t qualify, it can create similarly negative consequences.

Thus, it’s best to stick to building rapport and scheduling the patient for a consultation to have an informed conversation about their needs and options.

2. Listen to the patient and get patients in quickly.

Not ensuring your patients feel heard is one of the quickest ways of losing a patient. Patients don’t want dental implants. They want to smile again. They want to throw away their dentures. They want to eat with their whole mouth again. They want a better life.

An implant is the only way they can achieve those things. Thus, the best phone conversations involve actively listening to the caller and inviting them in for an appointment within 24 to 48 hours. After letting the caller express their concerns, your staff should acknowledge those concerns, and then frame the appointment invitation within that context.

In other words, listen to their needs and discuss their issues using their terms as you build rapport. Then book the patient within 24 to 48 hours while they are motivated to improve their smile.

3. Say yes.

Most practices say no to everything. If a patient asks if you accept an insurance plan and you don’t, practices often instinctively say no. Especially with implant dentistry, this isn’t a simple yes or no question, however. First, many plans don’t cover implants at all. Of those that do, dental benefits typically have a low annual maximum of $500 to $1,500 in total. Thus, even with insurance, the patient will need to pay either for the entire implant or a large portion of it out of pocket.

But if you say “No, we don’t accept your insurance” the person will just hang up and call the next dentist. Instead, consider saying “Yes, we work with all insurance plans to help you get the best deal you can. Our goal is to help every patient fit whatever procedure they need into their budget.”

The same is true with weekend appointments. Many practices are closed on the weekends. But what if someone had a $30,000 implant case from someone who needed to come in on a Saturday? Many practices would happily come in on a Saturday to perform that procedure. Thus, if someone asks about weekend appointments, it’s best to answer “Yes, in some circumstances we do.”

Yes is a powerful word. It tells patients you have their interests in mind and are listening to them. Also, in the world of implant dentistry, no is almost never the right answer even if it might seem so at first glance. Set yourself apart from other practices and say yes more on the phone.

Are you training your team to help improve your return on investment in implant marketing?

The most successful dental implant practices are the ones with clinical training, advertising, and team training working together. These three strategies will help you get more patients scheduled and change more lives. It will make callers feel heard. It will make them feel welcome. It will help them move forward with life-changing treatments. And it will help you build a sustainable, successful implant practice.

For more ways to train your team, watch the entire LiveCast with Laura Hatch. If you would like to get in touch with Laura directly, visit Front Office Rocks, where you can learn more about her company, view free sample training videos, and sign-up for dental customer service training for your entire team for as little as $5 per day!

If you would like to book a FREE Strategy Session with Driven Dental Implants’ founder, Charles, go to drivendentalmarketing.com and hit the big green button to schedule a 15-minute strategy session covering how you can implement a program to attract and convert more high-value patients to your practice.

Don’t forget to like the Driven Dental Marketing Facebook page to keep up with the latest podcast episodes and video interviews with the world’s top influencers in dentistry that you definitely don’t want to miss!